Merkel stresses commitment to Paris climate accord in thinly veiled swipe at Trump

Xinhua Published: 2017-06-30 05:05:41
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Without calling him by name, German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) offered a scathing criticism of U.S. president Trump's policies in a speech before the Federal Parliament (Bundestag) on Thursday. 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel delivers her speech about last week's EU Summit and the upcoming G-20 Summit at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Thursday, June 29, 2017. [Photo: AP/Markus Schreiber]

German Chancellor Angela Merkel delivers her speech about last week's EU Summit and the upcoming G-20 Summit at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Thursday, June 29, 2017. [Photo: AP/Markus Schreiber]

Speaking a week before the official commencement of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Merkel emphasized Germany's commitment to multilateral cooperation to confront transnational challenges such as climate change. 

"Whoever thinks that the problems of this world can be solved with isolationism and protectionism is making an enormous mistake" Merkel said. 

"Only together can we find the right answers to the central questions of our times." This circumstance applied to the G20 as much as it did to the European Union, according to the chancellor. 

Merkel's speech contained several thinly-veiled swipes at Trump.

Addressing the issue of climate change, she warned that "we cannot and will not wait until the last person on Earth is convinced of the scientific evidence of climate change. In other words: the [Paris] climate accord is irreversible and non-negotiable."

Since the United States abandoned the Paris accord, Germany was "more committed than ever to making it a success", she said. 

The speech highlighted a growing discrepancy between Berlin and Washington's positions on a several international issues since Trump took office in January, ranging from climate change to trade. 

Germany will host the G20 summit on July 7-8 in the Northern German city of Hamburg. 

Merkel wants the summit to send a "signal of determination" of the world's 20 largest industrialized and emerging nations to assume their international responsibility.

"We need the G20 more than ever," Merkel said.

Nonetheless, the chancellor predicted difficult talks as she expected there would be many differences in points of view between attendees.

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